64g Tokyo tank

[Anonymous]

I've waited a long time to start a thread down here! Just a taster I'm afraid, as I need to get myself a sump, get the RO/DI filter connected (I need to get a plumber to do so, as the US-made filter and Japanese pipes don't just connect that easily), buy sand and live rock. I've also got to sort out a potential problem with lighting I've ordered. So a little way to go before this gets wet, but at least I now have something to take photos of!

The tank is a 90cm x 60cm x 45cm high glass rimless tank, order-made (not because it's unusual, but because all quality tanks here for the marine market appear to be made to order). The cabinet and canopy were made at the same time. The canopy is intended to reduce the chances of carpet surfing by fish.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the eye candy...

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010516.jpg[/rimg]

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010510.jpg[/rimg]

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010511.jpg[/rimg]

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010519.jpg[/rimg]

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010518.jpg[/rimg]

 

[Anonymous]

Looking good, Tom. Gotta love black silicone. Funny how prevalent it seems to be everywhere but the US.

So... 90x60x45 = 36x24x18 = about 68 gallons?

Decided to go with a canopy after the discussion with Matt, huh? It looks good, actually. What's the potential problem with the lighting?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey there CJ, nice to see you here as my first visitor. Yes, about those dimensions in inches, but it actually works out just slightly under, which brings it down to around 64g.

I'm quite pleased with the canopy as well. Bit disappointed that the LFS's promise that it would open at the front doesn't seem to have been followed through on, but it's nice and light, so I should be able to lift it off relatively easily when I need to do some work on the tank.

For the skinny on my light problems, see this thread in the Sump (there because I needed the Sump's electricians).

http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic136881.html

 

[Anonymous]

He's not the first I'm just quiet

 

[Anonymous]

You're very welcome too.

Updates to come, but slowly. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Thought that was a dissassembled protein skimmer sitting in your tank at first... only on a second look did I realize it's the overflow and return. Really interesting. Glass or plastic?

 

[Ben1]

Awesome looking tank, this is going to be a great build. The overflow/return looks pretty slick too, I've never seen a design like that.

 

[Anonymous]

Thought that was a dissassembled protein skimmer sitting in your tank at first... only on a second look did I realize it's the overflow and return. Really interesting. Glass or plastic?

Sorry, should have attached some labels to the photos! Yes, that's the overflow and return. It's actually the standard design here, the same as for my last tank. I wasn't sure I liked it that much, given how much it sticks out in the display area and I was playing with the idea of ordering a tank from the States to get the external overflow I hankered after, until I realised how much it would cost me. The disadvantage is that it sticks out in the tank. The advantages are that it is pretty space-efficient although it's in the tank itself and you don't get all the white PVC pipes emerging behind the tank that you see with external overflow tanks. It's plastic - PVC I think.

Awesome looking tank, this is going to be a great build. The overflow/return looks pretty slick too, I've never seen a design like that.

Thanks Ben. I'm looking forward to getting it wet, once I've overcome the small hurdles I have left...

 

[Anonymous]

Updates to come, but slowly. :wink:

That's okay. We're patient. We can wait.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay. That's enough patience. Fill her up and post pics

 

[Anonymous]

It'll be at least a couple of weeks before she's wet I'm afraid.

Oh, that came out wrong. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Kay, a coupla weeks have now passed... where are the pics? :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

I had two weeks from hell at work, which stopped me sorting out getting my RO/DI hooked up. My beautiful wife has been doing some research in the meantime and has found a plumber that might be able to connect it (US RO/DI to Japanese pipe, hence it not being straightforward). Hopefully I can get this moving again.

If all else fails, I'll take photos over the weekend of the light stand and Giesemann unit in position, which I set up last weekend.

 

[Anonymous]

/diffident and polite throat clearing

 

[Anonymous]

The plumber's coming tomorrow. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Well, the plumber came yesterday and there was a nervous moment where he looked at the fitting for the RO/DI filter and said "This is in inches isn't it?" and did whatever the Japanese equivalent of a British plumber sucking his teeth is "I'll just go and have a look in the van and see if I've got the right part". Thankfully, it turns out he had a fitting that would fit and work as an adapter to the Japanese fitting under the sink. He's also going to have to do some work under the sink to make it work properly, but will be back next week to finish things off.

In the meantime, I've acquired a sump and started setting things up bit by bit. Still need to get an adapter and transformer for the protein skimmer and a couple of the other bits of kit. Thankfully the Giesemann fixture and all the Tunze equipment can run without either, which saves a bit of cash and fuss, particularly as I bought so much Tunze kit.

Here's a shot of the Giesemann fixture I took for Bingo and never posted (apologies - didn't look particularly interesting once I'd taken it).

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010549.jpg[/rimg]

Tank with fixture hung (I'll lower it by 2-3 inches later today), plus nano-streams in place.

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010555.jpg[/rimg]

Shot of fixture, showing how I used just one of the hanging wires, doubled up in a loop to get round my hanging problem (can't use the Giesemann kit as it is intended (i.e. both hanging wires fixed to the ceiling).

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010557.jpg[/rimg]

Sump as it stands now. Still need to get a plastic/pvc bin to place next to the sump as a top-off reservoir (will be using the Tunze Osmolator/kalk dispenser system).

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010558.jpg[/rimg]

The return and pipe delivering water from the overflow to the tank. You can probably see, but the return goes through the clear hose at the bottom and, through a pipe fixed internally within the larger pipe, gets returned to the main tank through the pipe you can see in my first post.

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010559.jpg[/rimg]

 

[Anonymous]

There is a hole at the top of that PVC pipe which delivers the overflow water to the sump, which I'm assured will reduce noise.

In the sump picture, you can see the drop-in refugium I'll be using. It has a maxijet fixed to one end to feed it. I plan to fill it with sand and live rock rubble about a quarter to a third full. A friend moving here at the end of August is planning to bring some chaeto with him. If it survives the flight and he gets through customs, I'll then have some macro in there as well. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Neat. I don't recognize the skimmer - what make is it? And tell me about that drop in refugium, who makes it and where'd you pick it up from?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey CJ, thanks for dropping in.

The skimmer is an Octopus skimmer from Premium Aquatics - the Super Reef 1000 internal. Near the top of the reasonable price range, which is about where I was realistically able to aim (despite flirting with the idea of the BK ).

The drop-in refugium I bought last time I had a tank, but stupidly after the tank was full and I wasn't in a position to remove the brace from the stand to give me enough room to get the fuge in the sump! So, after 3 years of not being used, it was carried to the UK and back to Japan and finally I get to use it! Unfortunately that also means it's a line that's since been discontinued. I couldn't remember who made it, but a search on Google has revealed it was Precision Marine. Not that it helps, but here's the page on Marine Depot telling you it's been discontinued.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Precisio...quarium_Refugiums_Sumps--YPM5111-FIRF-vi.html

[rimg]http://akamai.f3images.com/IMD/600/YPM5111/YPM5111_99.jpg[/rimg]

Actually a further search suggests it's not been discontinued. You could contact PM if you were interested.

http://www.precisionmarine.com/html/refugiums.html

 

[Anonymous]

Appreciate the legwork, but I'm sure it's dimensions are too large to fit into the shoebox of a sump I've got. Was curious to know who the manufacturer was, though, since I may end up needing a similar drop-in box if I end up picking up a tunze 9002 or 9006. Was actually just tooling around in Bryce doing a simple 3d render of what I'd need if I end up having to have something custom made....